“Save the Witch.... Protect the Witch!” Said the voice in his head, and he obeyed.
Chapter 14
The Battle of Finsbury Fields
The twelve remaining Goyles had circled around to the south both by land and air, but the night was eerily quiet with little spirit activity. Unsettled by their most ancient of Goyle senses, they had already unsheathed their weapons and nervously watched every shadow or hiding place.
“This is most peculiar!” Grimble whispered as the moonlight reflected on his war axe. “I don’t like this one little bit. Where are all the dead? And where’s Skuttlebucket? He should have been here by now.” He wasn’t talking to anyone in particular but two nearby Goyles flashed him anxious looks.
The Goyles were moving in the standard textbook formation, which in practice meant they had at least two Goyles in the air at all times, but as everyone was exhausted he had just sent the one up. Gulp Rottenoffle had volunteered anyway, even though Grimbles first ever advice to the young Boneshiner had been ‘never volunteer for anything’.
Now he was their eyes and ears as he circled high above the patrol. Every so often he would dive down and skim just above the surface of the river, land, make his report and then return skyward. Grimble had great hopes for his apprentice.
Dragged there by the sound of screaming and shouting, all eyes suddenly looked skyward. They could just make out his silhouette beyond the smoke; he was hovering and pointing north.
As they watched him, he deployed the defensive spikes on his back and along his arms, and then the young Rottenoffle drew his sword, folded his wings into his body and went into a vertical dive.
“Stand too... Stand too!” Grimble shouted. “Prepare for battle... Stand too!” Immediately the eleven Goyles rallied and formed a line facing north. Swords were ripped unceremoniously from their scabbards, bows were quickly strung and dozens of arrows went into the ground, ready to fire. Armoured spikes on their arms and backs filled with blood and their wings folded around to the front to be used as shields.
Grimble moved out to the front and turned to face his men just as Gulp landed beside him.
“Demons... Millions of em... Just over the hill!” He spluttered breathlessly. “The Gobelinus ride with them... and they’re coming this way!”
Grimble swallowed hard; there was no hiding his fear. “Take your place in line boy!” He said softly and patted Gulp on the back. He’d had great hopes for that young Goyle and now it would never be. “Goyles... We’re all that stand between the dead of London and a Demon army. Take heed men... The more souls a Demon consumes the stronger he becomes... Kill as many of them as you can... Hold them as long as you can... If we are to die here today then let not the demons ever forget who they fought ... It’s been a pleasure serving with each and every one of you... “
Then he slowly looked each Goyle in the eye seeking fear, there was none to be found. Turning to face the enemy he raised his sword in one hand and axe in the other. “Protect the dead and save the living.” He roared.
The Goyles followed suit and just as they finished the first volley of arrows rained upon them.
“Stand your ground men; wait till you see the blacks of their eyes.”
The wing of a healthy Goyle is impregnable to pretty much anything, and the arrows of an advance party of Gobelinus fared no better. Their enemy, cloaked head to toe in a black, charged on the half rotting carcasses of dead horses, brought to life by their dark magic.
Once the vile creatures dared to venture close enough Grimble ordered his Goyles to fire their arrows. Volley after volley of arrows smashed into the horses and their riders, they fell, crashed and tumbled head over hoof in the neat lines of which they had charged and soon a great wall of dead horses and Gobelinus began to mount up. Bloody carnage and mutilation awaited every attack, but still the foul beast rode blindly to their deaths screaming war cries and wielding their swords. Those that lived formed small bands and attacked the Goyle line on foot only to be cut down by sword and axe. The battle seemed to last for hours but had passed in no more than five minutes.
Before long all the Gobelinus Generals had been killed and their Army decimated. What was left of them returned to the rear of the demon ranks or fled the battlefield. Throwing down their bows the Goyles took up their swords and readied for hand to hand combat.
The battle with the Gobelinus had been nothing but a decoy. The demon Army used the deaths of their allies to outflank the Goyles on both sides and now completely surrounded them. They advanced relentlessly and then suddenly stopped a short distance away from the Goyles.
“Steady... Steady Goyles! Let them make the first move.” Grimble said and nervously licked his lips.
Without warning a voice bellowed out from the massing hoard. “You fight well for such small creatures...”
“I take it you’re ready to give us the terms of your surrender?” Grimble shouted back. “Return from whence you came Demon, or be destroyed!”
The sound of laughter bellowed from the creature. “You are but twelve! We number in the thousand!”
“Well if you’re that scared, we’ll wait here while you go and get some more bad guys!” Gulp shouted. “Oh and by the way when the fighting starts... I’m coming for you!”
Every one of the other Goyles turned and glared at Gulp who just shrugged, Puke Gizzardscabs leaned heavily on his war axe. “Yeh, that’s right Rottenoffle! You go for the big guy; we’ll take care of the other ten thousand!”
The booming voice returned. “Do you surrender, Goyles?”
It’s a fact, a Goyle would sooner live given the choice but he would never yield to evil. “Goyles... Protect the dead... Save the living...” Sir Grimble Donkin Wartsnot screamed in reply. “C H A R G E,” and threw himself at the wall of Demons, disappearing quickly into their heaving midst.
With a mighty clash of steel the battle erupted as Goyle and Demon tore into one another, the air quickly became misty with the stench of blood. Gulp Rottenoffle rapidly found himself fighting for his life in a seething mass of spite filled demons, slashing and stabbing the enemy in a blurring frenzy until they fell dead about him, and then remembered his promise. Breaking free and leaping high into the air he unfurled his wings and hovered, immediately spotting his prey.
The Demon king was standing well back out of harm’s way and snarling as he urged his army into the melee. In his blood lust, Gulp thought about just flying down and slicing off his head. Instead, he descended and hovered in the Demon’s eye line.
The creature looked human but for his eyes, they were indeed mirrors to the soul. For there looking out from the dead pool of his mind was a myriad of consumed souls. Gulp sensed their Pain immediately and almost vomited as their anguish overwhelmed his emotions. Their hopelessness fed his weary body and their anger concentrated his mind on vengeance. Landing on the torso of an injured Gobelinus, Gulp drew his sword and finished him off, the creature died without a murmur.
As he began to edge forward, the Demon’s personal bodyguard attacked in force. Gulp charged straight at them and at the last second curled up into a ball, the spikes on his arms and back came into their own. Ripping and tearing at the fetid flesh as he piled into them, then he sprung into the air and wrapped his great wings tight against his spinning body as spear and arrow flashed passed his face. He spun in the air at a dizzying speed and then descended like a cork screw, with sword out, carving up anything unlucky enough to get in his way.
He landed gently on another injured Gobelinus right in front of the Demon King. “I always keep my promises I do... Told you I’d come for you!” The Gobelinus came too and groaned under the weight of the Goyle. Gulp thrust his sword downwards without taking his eyes off the Demon.
“Didn’t we tell you that your army wasn’t big enough..? Didn’t we give you a chance to go and get some more of your mates..? I bet you wished you’d listened to us now, don’t you?”
The Demon glared over his hook nose and snarled at the insolent Goyle who
dared to speak to him. His royal demonic power was absolute, and there was no creature in the universe that would be stupid enough to face him alone.
“When my army has finished crushing your friends and feasted upon the dinner table that is London!” He growled. “I shall take my time with you...”
“I don’t think so...You’re forgetting one very important detail ‘your royal evilness’... Us Goyles can fly!” He said grinning and looked to the sky. “You hear that buzzing sound, that’s warriors of the Goyle army that is! Tens of thousands of ‘em... and they’re all here for you!” He hopped off the torso of the dead Gobelinus and began walking toward the Demon. “Just twelve Goyles stopped you dead in your tracks... What’s ten thousand going to do?”
Storm clouds rolling in under the starry night sky seemed to be massing over the city. Soon even the moon was blacked out as countless descending Goyles prepared for battle.
“They’ll be here in a minute! But don’t you fret any... Because you’ll be dead by then!” The Demon King seemed unconcerned that Gulp had walked and talked himself into striking distance. “And how do you suppose to kill that which is already dead?” He cried and revealed a huge golden sword from under his cloak.
“Oh I do like that! It’s really shiny... It’s going to look good over my fire place! Do try not to scratch it when you fall over, won’t you?”
The first wave of Goyles fell silently upon the demons; most did not see death until it was too late. Those that did tried to flee only to have arrows rain down upon them from an entire battalion of archers. Hostilities were short lived and few demons fought or lived after the last of the Goyle army had landed. Those that could watched Gulp with awe, anyone of them would change places in an instant, and after all, Goyles were created to combat Demons.
How do you kill that which is already dead, he wished he knew, but there was no backing off now. “Looks like your boys are waiting for their second breath!” Gulp said rolling his eyes in mock disgust. “Trained ‘em yourself, did you?” Having delayed the inevitable long enough he raised his sword. “So who’s your successor then? I’ll give him the good news!”
The Demon finally snarled with a show of anger, but did not raise his sword. “You talk too much!” He roared and pointed a single finger at the advancing Goyle.
Gulp immediately felt the crushing pressure around his neck as an invisible force lifted him off his feet. Goyles don’t actually breathe as such but the pain was unbearable and Gulp dropped his sword. As it clattered to the ground he saw his life pass before him, it seemed to pass a little too quickly for his liking.
Colonel Earwax Snotjuice pushed through the baying crowd, stopping for a second to wipe the blood from his sword on an unsuspecting Goyle. “Get out of the way men... Snotjuice coming through! What’s going on here then?”
The horde parted grudgingly as everyone clamored to see the action. Just as the Colonel burst through into the open Gulp was being wrenched into the air and dragged toward the Demon. The Colonel immediately turned to the nearest Goyle and whispered something in his ear. That Goyle turned to the next and did the same, and so on and so forth until the entire Goyle army fell silent.
“Gulp Rottenoffle!” He shouted. “It’s the Colonel, by your actions you have chosen one on one combat... By the great book, if you lose he will be free to leave the field of combat! Remember what I taught you?”
Gulp was barely conscious, but remembered he had only ever been taught one thing by the Colonel; how to catch moths.
The Colonel was shouting again. “Remember your duty, warrior Goyle! Protect the dead... Save the living!” The entire army screamed the ancient words and then shot out their snake like tongues into the night sky as was the custom at duels.
Gulp needed no more hints. He coiled up every muscle in his throat and shot out his deadly tongue as hard as he could. The Demon had no time to react, the fleshy projectile smashed through his eye and in to his brain. He died before he hit the ground; Gulp landed on his side and just managed to catch the golden sword before it fell into a pool of blood.
The Demon’s body shuddered and jerked as millions of consumed souls clamored to escape through the smashed and bleeding eye socket. Sparkling like stars in their own universe they seemed to float as one for a while before the first soul headed skyward, closely followed by the rest.
“It’s true then sir... The eyes are the mirrors to the soul?” He said climbing to his feet.
The Colonel nodded and patted Gulp on the back. ”Well done lad... Well done!”
“You know I’m keeping the sword, don’t you?”
“Is it real gold? We’ll discuss it later!” The Colonel guided Gulp back to the waiting arms of the massed army and knew in his old heart that he had just witnessed the birth of a legend.
Chapter 15
Present day
Poppy hardly slept at all that night, she romanced about Ruby and William and the adventures they must have had. She thought about the Goyles and Gulp Rottenoffle, it was hard to believe an hideous old monster like him was once some kind of hero warrior.
Most of all she thought about her Granddad, should she tell him that it was she who had saved him in the cave. How could that be though, she wasn’t even born then. As she dozed in and out of sleep questions filled her mind and she dreamed Midnight was sat at the end of her bed staring, just staring, and it gave her a sense of security, after all he was a ‘hellhound’, whatever that meant.
When she woke it was already daylight, there was no Midnight sat at the end of the bed, but the door was slightly ajar. She washed and dressed quickly and positively skipped downstairs, she was excited about riding her new bike to school for the first time.
Wolfing down her breakfast, which was just a piece of toast; she buttoned up her coat, grabbed her bag and went into the back garden. Her Granddad had already got her bike out of the shed for her and stood there holding it.
“I want you to be very careful on this here bike of yours!” He said. “And another thing, Midnight is going to follow you to school and meet you at home time.”
“Why?” Snapped Poppy as she wrenched the bike from his grasp. “I don’t need a guard dog following me around.”
“All the same, he’s got nothing better to be doing at the moment and the exercise will do him good!”
Poppy gave a scathing look at the dog which was sniffing around by the dustbins. “Bye Granddad.” She said and set off.
Midnight did exactly what granddad had told her he would do; he followed her all the way up to the school. Even when Poppy peddled her bike as fast as she could he just jogged a little faster, he didn’t even look like he was trying. In the end she was shattered and slowed so that he could walk beside her. He watched her lock the bike in the cycle shed near the hockey pitch and then wandered off as she went inside.
Today was Poppys first full day of lessons, the timetable was packed and the classrooms seemed to be all over the school. Every time the bell went for change of class she only had five minutes to find the next one. Little Miss perfect Verina Graves seemed to be everywhere and always bossing some poor kid around. Poppy both hated her and wanted to be her at the same time.
Poppy caught her eye and wished immediately she hadn’t.
“Ms. Darke!” Verina Said slightly louder than she could have. “Are we lost?”
The corridor stuttered to a quiet buzz as all eyes fell upon the new girl. “Well I don’t know about you but I’m going to class 4B which is this way.” Said Poppy as innocently as she could and then smiled just a little too sweetly.
Verina tried to hide the scowl which was slowly growing across her face and blushed when she couldn’t think of a clever put down. “Nice to see you’re settling in.” She spat and disappeared through a heaving mass of sniggering children and into a classroom.
“That was so cool.” Poppy heard someone say.
She turned and a girl she hadn’t seen before was standing there clutching a fashion magazine to her ch
est.
“My name is Xhi Xhi Wong!” She said. The girl was much smaller than Poppy with dark eyes and long platted silky black hair tied up in a red ribbon. She had an unusually narrow mouth with full lips and a button nose. She held out her hand, which Poppy shook. “There is no class 4B!”
Poppy Grinned. “I’m Poppy...Our Ms. Graves isn’t as clever as she thinks is she?
“If I were you I’d stay well out of her way. She could cause you a lot of trouble.”
Poppy shrugged and went on her way, at least someone apart from teachers and Verina had bothered to talk to her.
At dinnertime the canteen was mostly full; Poppy got her tray of food and headed for the only table that had empty seats around it. The other girls looked up as she took her seat, she thought about saying hello or something but settled on an embarrassingly false smile.
She’d just taken her first mouthful when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Roberta Bailey!” The girl Said. “You’re in my seat.... Shift or else.”
Poppy looked around and her heart sank when she saw the size of the girl. “Has this seat got your name on it?” She said. “If it has I’ll gladly move somewhere else! If it hasn’t then I think you should get lost.”
“No... You get lost.” Spat Roberta angrily and prodded Poppy in the back.
Poppy was on her feet in a second, her temper exploding as her blood boiled in her veins. “Go on... Do that again... I dare you!”
The look of anger faltered on Roberta’s face, she’d never had anyone stand up to her before and didn’t quite know how to react. Suddenly Ms. Craven and two other female teachers entered the canteen and walked straight over to the two girls.
“Sit down over there Roberta.” Ms. Craven barked. “You too Ms. Darke...And eat your lunch. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my school!”
Roberta glared furiously at poppy, and as soon as the teachers wandered off she mouthed ‘I’ll get you later’, to which Poppy grinned nervously.
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